31. Chapter Thirty-One
Chapter Thirty-One
HOW MUCH LONGER
Aaliyah
Luca, Franco, and a few other soldiers were huddled around Antonio at the back of the jet, discussing the plans for what awaited us in California.
With the information I received from my contact and the video footage, I tracked Celia’s movements using some of the NSA’s most sensitive tracking programs once I knew her name and what she looked like, I narrowed down her location to a beach house in Santa Monica. We should touch down at Santa Monica Municipal Airport in a few hours. And then it would take us another forty-five minutes to get to the home she’d been staying at.
We had also reached out to the other heads of family whose partners were also being targeted, and I was grateful that we had. Synthia Williams and her husband, Nicholai Kozlov, the Bratva Pahkan , had apparently been in Colombia for the last two weeks. It looked like Celia may have been on her way to honor that part of her contract with Grasso.
“Are you alright?” Abel asked as soon as he sat down beside me.
I looked over at my long-time friend. After our breakup, I never imagined we would end up in this place. However, he held a special place in my heart as one of my closest friends and most reliable advisors. Despite occasional clashes with Tony over my security, I was grateful for his presence in my life.
“Just ready for this to be over with, so I can live my life in peace and not have this contract hanging over my head.”
“There’s no peace in this life, Nzuri, especially now that you’ve cemented your position in their world. Someone will always come to knock the Queen off her throne.”
A heavy sigh escaped from my lips. I knew he was right as his words resonated deeply with me. I bulldozed my way into a world that didn’t want me in it. I stood beside a man who wouldn’t walk away from his love for me even if it meant turning his back on long held traditions. He did that all for me. I knew there were still those who still believed my place wasn’t beside my husband. And a target would always be on my back but hopefully how I’d dealt with things since Papa Rizzo had been murdered would show those that were my enemies to think twice before acting on their hate for me.
“I know this, Abel. I just want to love my husband and help him continue his legacy for the next generation.”
I instinctively placed my hand on my stomach. Realizing my mistake, I swiftly moved my hand, careful not to draw Abel’s attention. I knew he would also disapprove of me being here dealing with all this bullshit just as much as Tony if they knew I was pregnant. And Abel shouldn’t know I was carrying the heir to the Rizzo empire before my child’s father. I was going to end this not only for myself and my husband but for our child.
“At first, I didn’t believe he was up to taking care of you, especially in this life, but he’s proved himself and I’m happy he’s the one you are with.”
I squeezed his hand tightly, feeling the warmth and reassurance in his grasp. “Thank you, Abel. For everything.”
“Are you going to pester my wife the entire flight?” Antonio asked as soon as he walked up beside Abel. “Or are you going to catch up with what we have planned?”
Despite rolling my eyes, a smile spread across my face. Rising to his feet, Abel locked eyes with Tony, his expression revealing no trace of animosity. If it was any other time or I’d never dated either one of these men, they’d be really close friends.
“My responsibility is to your wife, not you. As long as I’m by her side, what you’ve got planned doesn’t concern me,” Abel said, then walked off.
Tony plopped down heavily in the chair beside me, causing it to creak under his weight. “Why do you nag him?” I asked, laughing.
He shrugged. “Because I can. I like to get him riled up. I know he’s going to do what he supposed to do especially to protect you, I just like seeing him pissed.”
I shook my head. Men.
I covered my mouth and let out a yawn, my eyes heavy with sleep.
“Are you tired?” he asked, grabbing my hand.
“A little but I’m all right,” I said, intertwining my fingers with his.
After nodding, he leaned in and gave me a quick kiss on the lips. Lately, exhaustion had weighed heavily on me, making it challenging to conceal my pregnancy from Tony. However, once everything was resolved, I could share the good news with him.
“Have you been able to get in touch with Alessandro?”
I felt he needed to be a part of this. He needed to confront the woman who had killed Laney, a woman who held a significant place in his life, despite us not knowing anything about their relationship.
I’d become close with Alessandro, and he was like the brother I never had. We kept in contact with one another just like he kept in touch with Antonio. But he was in a really dark place after Laney was murdered and he was distancing himself from both of us. Tony felt like he just needed his space, but I didn’t like not knowing where his head was.
“It’s been a while,” Tony said. “He was actually in California the last time we spoke. I was going to send him a text letting him know what was going on once we touched down.”
“I’m worried about him.”
“I don’t know what you want me to do, Bella .” He let out a sigh, filled with frustration and exhaustion. “He’s hurting but I can’t take that pain away for him. He has to be able to move on from Laney in his own time.”
“Who’s the woman he’s been seeing in California?” I asked.
Alessandro had already been spending a significant amount of time in California even before Laney’s death. In my opinion it had to be a woman or maybe multiple women. With Alessandro anything was possible. But I’d come to the conclusion whatever happened between Laney and him before her death kind of sent Alessandro into that dark place where he tried to chase away what he lost with countless faceless and nameless women. Now that she was gone, he’d sunk deeper into the abyss.
“I don’t know,” Tony said. “And I don’t believe it’s just one woman either. Alessandro is not going to settle down. I think he had that chance with Laney, now every woman he’s with just won’t measure up to her.”
“I think he needs to be a part of this so he can heal, Tony.”
“I hope he’ll answer my calls when we reach the airport.”
“How much longer?” I asked.
“We have another couple of hours if you want to take a nap,” he said. “The private room has been prepared.”
A smile spread across my face. “As long as you join me.”
I knew if he did join me, we wouldn’t get any sleep even though I did need to catch a couple hours.
“You know damn well if I join you there’s no way in hell, we’d get any sleep.”
I couldn’t help but laugh before yawning again.
“Go take a nap. I’m going to finish things up with the guys, and talk to Abel for a few minutes, then I’ll come to you.”
As I nodded, I rose from my seat and Tony stood in the aisle to let me pass. After pecking him on the lips, I made my way to the back of the plane to the bedroom. As I entered the spacious suite, I kicked off my shoes and sank into the plush bed. With a deep sigh, I closed my eyes, desperately wishing that when I opened them again, we would be free of Celia Calderon.
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
WE’RE HERE
Antonio
I thought about leaving Aaliyah on the plane so she could rest because she had been so tired lately, but I knew she’d hand my ass to me if I did that. She deserved to be there when we took down the Ghost since she’d been working non-stop to find her.
I couldn’t believe we’d been able to track the legendary assassin down and even find video footage of her. She had always been able to travel under the radar, but she made a mistake taking the contract against my family.
Not too many people in the mafia knew Aaliyah was a computer genius and the work she did for Abasi. While she beat herself up for the amount of time it took to track the Ghost down, she’d done what no other person had been able to do.
“Has Alessandro returned your call?” she asked, stifling a yawn behind her hand.
She looked absolutely stunning in her sleek, all-black leggings and shirt. It may not have been the catsuit from when she killed Agent Grasso, but the outfit she wore was just as sexy.
“No, he hasn’t. He’s probably with some woman and doesn’t want to be disturbed.” I gently pressed the back of my hand to her forehead to see if I could feel heat radiating from her skin. When I looked at her concerned, she arched her brow in response. “Are you sure you’re alright, Bella ? You’ve been really tired lately.”
“I’m fine, Antonio,” she said, her voice laced with exhaustion as she yawned once more and tightened her grip on her laptop. “We’ve been going non-stop. It’s just catching up with me.”
I wasn’t sure if that was all it was, but I knew she wouldn’t hide it from me if she was sick.
“Well, when this shit is done, pick a place and we’re going on a long vacation.”
She smiled, her eyes shining with happiness, and then gently rested her head on my shoulder. “I’d like that,” she whispered, her voice fading away as she closed her eyes.
I glanced up and locked eyes with Abel, who stared at us through the visor mirror with a concerned expression. He’d mentioned to me on the plane while Aaliyah was in the back sleep that he didn’t like the way she was behaving. She appeared worn out, clearly not in the right state of mind to deal with this, and I agreed. But there was no way I could convince her not to be involved in it.
“Five minutes out, Don,” Luca said from the driver’s seat.
I nodded.
It was close to midnight. With so many of us, it would be impossible to approach her home in broad daylight. And we knew we had limited time, especially since she would be boarding a plane to Colombia in a few hours. Although she likely had some type of security, we were fortunate to have the protection of darkness.
We couldn’t keep chasing a ghost. She needed to be dealt with now because chasing after someone who was always a few steps ahead of you was a dangerous game. A game I wasn’t willing to play because it meant it could cost Aaliyah her life.
“ Bella ,” I whispered, my lips brushing against her forehead as I planted a gentle kiss. “We’re here.”
In the short amount of time from our conversation until now, she had fallen asleep. When we got through with all this, I’d make sure we’d take that long vacation, I promised her. Preferably somewhere warm with absolutely no connection to the outside world. We both needed to recharge.
She slowly opened her eyes, sat up, then stretched. Luca brought the car to a halt a few hundred feet away from the target house. My gaze remained fixed on Aaliyah as she double-checked the magazine of her gun, effortlessly reloaded it, and reached for her laptop.
“Are you ready?” I asked her.
“Yes.”
“Stay close,” I warned. “And if all goes to hell make sure you get out of there.”
“Tony, I’m not running away from this,” she said, her voice determined, as she swung open the door, stepped out, and closed it firmly behind her.
“I’ve got her,” Abel said.
I gave a quick nod, and he promptly stepped out of the car, closing the door behind him. I took a deep breath and released it. If anything happened to her, I wouldn’t be able to survive it. I trusted Abel with her life, knowing that if I couldn’t protect her, he would step in without hesitation.
We had decided to split into two teams, each with their own orders. One team would hit the house from the beach, and the other team would come from the street. We already discussed the security measures she had in place that were visible, including the presence of security cameras strategically placed throughout her property. It wouldn’t be difficult to disarm those. Once we left the airport, Aaliyah had already gained access to the system. If nothing else worked, her last plan was to disable the entire power grid.
She sat her laptop on the hood of one of the SUV’s and powered it up, as we anxiously waited for Franco and Luca to return. Once they returned from scouting the place, they’d brief us on what they found, then we would make our move.
As I approached Aaliyah from behind, I pulled her into a warm embrace, my arms encircling her waist. As she leaned against me, the warmth of her body seeped into mine. At any other time, the calming scent of the ocean and the soothing sound of waves crashing onto the beach would tamp down my anxiety. But not today.
“I’m ready for this to be over,” she said.
“After this, we won’t have to deal with her anymore and everyone will know that our family is not to be fucked with.”
She turned around and pulled me close, her arms wrapped around my neck. She leaned in and pressed her soft lips against mine. “Good.”
“Don,” Luca called out and Aaliyah stepped back and I faced him.
“There’s only one light on inside in what looks like a small foyer,” Luca whispered. “I’m not sure. I had to use a thermal imaging camera. There are two people occupying the house. They are located towards the back.”
“Probably in the bedroom,” Aaliyah chimed in.
“I agree,” Luca said. “There’s a balcony that leads to where they are, I’d definitely suggest someone enter that way.”
“What about on the outside?” I asked, anxious to get going.
“There’s definitely motion sensing lighting,” Luca said. “We were only able to see those at the front and the back of the house, but there could be more.”
“All right, we have two individuals,” I said to everyone gathered around. “This isn’t a kill mission. But if it’s them or you, then take them out. This is an in and out situation because it won’t be long before the cops show up. In and out, understand?”
“Yes, Don,” my men said in unison.
“Team entering from the street once you hear the flash bang, breach the house.”
“Yes, Don.”
“Okay, Aaliyah. Knock out the security system,” I said.
With each keystroke, her fingers glided effortlessly across the laptop keyboard. “Done,” she said with a satisfied smile, then gently closing the laptop.
“All right, head out,” I ordered. “You’re with me, Bella .”
I could see the protest coming, but there was no way I was letting her out of my sight. So, I didn’t wait around to hear whatever she had to say, and I followed behind my men, having no doubt that she would follow me. After all of this was over, she’d remind me about it.
Upon reaching the back of the residence, the team at the front waited for my signal. As I surveyed my men, each one of them nodded that they were ready.
I tossed a flash grenade onto the balcony, and in an instant, a blinding explosion filled the air. My men successfully entered the house, from the front and the back. As the sound of gunshots reverberated around us, we knew we had to hurry. Within minutes, this place would be crawling with cops, and we didn’t need to stick around for that.
As I hurried up the steps with my men, the sounds of screaming and cursing filled the air from a man and a woman. As I entered the bedroom, I couldn’t believe my damn eyes.
“Let me the fuck go!” Alessandro screamed while being restrained by some of my men.
His shoulder was drenched in blood, flowing freely from a deep wound, while a thin line of blood marked his face, starting from his eyebrow and running down to his cheek. He was naked, on his knees, and so was the woman we’d been looking for.
“Alessandro?”
He stopped struggling, his breath ragged.
“Tony?” his voice called out. “What the fuck are you doing here?”
Aaliyah’s footsteps echoed softly as she entered the room beside me.
“Let him go,” I said, and my men dropped their hold on him. “I could ask you the same thing.”
“It should be fucking clear,” he said, his gaze fixated on the naked woman sprawled on the floor. Her body was wet, so I assumed she might have been in the shower.
“Put some goddamn clothes on,” I said, pulling Aaliyah to my side.
He hastily grabbed a pair of boxers from the bed and slipped them on.
“For God’s sake, Tony,” Aaliyah said.
“I don’t want you seeing any other man without their fucking clothes.”
She rolled her eyes, her annoyance clear. Alessandro chuckled at her reaction, before making his way back to the bed to retrieve his pants from the floor. Wincing, he slid on the sweatpants and gingerly sat on the edge of the bed.
“Let me go!” she screamed, her voice filled with anger, as she continued to struggle. “Sweetheart, tell them to let me go.”
“Sweetheart,” Aaliyah and I said simultaneously.
“What’s going on?” Alessandro asked, ignoring the woman.
“You should start answering the fucking phone,” I said. “How long have you’ve known this woman?”
He gave a shrug, glancing at her before returning his gaze to me. “We’ve been fucking for a while. Well over a year now,” he said.
“You have no fucking idea who she is, do you?” I asked.
A look of confusion washed over his face, his brows furrowing in response. “Should I? Her name is Celia. We fuck. I might hang out for a few days, but we aren’t serious.”
The woman’s piercing screams and profanity-filled curses grew increasingly louder.
“Does she know that?” I asked with my brow arched.
He shrugged nonchalantly, his shoulders rising and falling with indifference.
“Before or after you broke up with Laney?” Aaliyah asked.
In an instant, a wave of sadness washed over his eyes. “After,” he said. “What’s going on?”
Aaliyah walked over and sat on the bed beside him, her fingers intertwining with his. “This is the woman who killed Papa and Laney.”
An indescribable anger and hatred that I understood filled his eyes. We had both been deeply affected by this woman, as she had taken so much from us, leaving behind a trail of loss, and hurt. She tried to end everything.
In the distance, the wailing of sirens filled the air.
“We’ve got to go!” I shouted. “Get her up and to our vehicles. Abel ride with her and make sure she doesn’t cause any problems.”
With a nod, he exited the room, accompanied by the men who were holding the Ghost, as she shot a fierce glare at Alessandro.
The clock was ticking, and there was no longer any time to lose. I hated that Alessandro had to find out he had been sleeping with the enemy. He’d have questions, but now was not the time. We had to get out of here. Our questions, as well as his, would have to wait.